Dawnstar
Dawnstar is the premiere Exploration House in the Six Points, and is located in Aderon, the capital city of Bridgeport. It is both the largest Exploration House, with 738 active members, and the wealthiest, responsible for producing 90% of Bridgeport's domestic income. Under the leadership of Pheidos of Bosk, Dawnstar has completed countless successful expeditions and has increased world knowledge by a massive margin. History Dawnstar was founded by Pheidos of Bosk in 25 PW in response to the growing popularity of the Order of the Setting Sun. At the time of its founding, it was not considered an Exploration House (as the term had not yet been coined), but it laid much of the groundwork for the legislation that the Six would pass later. Examples of this include being founded under a central tenet (which would later become the central Mission Statement) and having a central, easy-to-access location for members to meet in (originally constructed for Dawnstar, its Meeting House now acts as Aderon's City Hall). It was not until 27 PW that the legislature to recognize Exploration Houses was passed, and even though similar organizations existed at this time, it was not until 28 PW when the Order of the Setting Sun was re-founded that a second Exploration House was recognized. At this point, however, Dawnstar had eclipsed the prior Oder in terms of membership, 440, and accomplishments (see "Notable Accomplishments" below). Over the years, Dawnstar continued to grow and expand, and by 39 PW, leader Pheidos of Bosk decided that Dawnstar's Mission Statement needed revision. Although this faced controversy initially, as it was upon Dawnstar's original Mission Statement that all other hopeful Exploration Houses based theirs. However, during a meeting with the leaders of the Six, Pheidos of Bosk was able to convince them that, although the Original Mission Statement was an important guideline, all Exploration Houses (including Dawnstar) are organizations that need to be constantly reevaluating themselves, and adjusting their mission as need be. Because of this, the leaders of the Six passed additional legislature that allowed Exploration Houses to change their Mission Statements through a petition process, provided it is still in accordance with Dawnstar's Original Mission Statement. As a result of the change in Mission Statement, Dawnstar was no longer simply an Exploration House. It was the official law enforcement organization in Bridgeport, and began to employ people specifically for this additional purpose. In 41 PW, Lisan of Siber, Pheidos of Bosk's wife, died of late-onset War Mutation, leaving Pheidos of Bosk the sole leader of Dawnstar for several months. Although there was something of a power vacuum during this time, Pheidos of Bosk never let his grief turn him from his post, and was soon doing the work of two. His strong leadership and tenacity lead to what many are calling the "Second Golden Age of Dawnstar." When asked about the name, many Exploration House scholars simply say that Dawnstar's first Golden Age was comprised of the first ten years after its founding. Indeed, it was during this time that Dawnstar flourished in a way that was before unseen. Membership exploded after many years of stagnation, bringing it to the 738 it has now. Local activity skyrocketed, as crime rates in Bridgeport vanished to nearly nothing. Most importantly, discoveries were happening at a blinding rate. By 51 PW, Dawnstar has mapped out 90% of its landmass to an excruciating level of detail. Although this "Second Golden Age" seems to be slowing down, many are sure that Dawnstar will never stop being the force that it has time and time again proven itself to be. Notable Accomplishments * In 25 PW, Dawnstar was founded. * In 26 PW, Pheidos of Bosk lead an expedition to map out more of the landmass containing Bridgeport. Although he had to return to Dawnstar after three months, he left the expedition in the capable hands of his wife Lisan of Siber. Lisan returned with her crew in 28 PW, having mapped out an estimated 15% of the landmass. * In 27 PW, a small expedition lead by Pheidos of Bosk lead to the discovery of Arcana. * In 34 PW, two agents of Dawnstar, COBRA and Dr. Gerald, liberated Brandon's Break, the settlement famous for discovering the rare metal hadrite, from pirate hijackers lead by Humbeak Tath. Thanks to them, the rest of the island was colonized, and hadrite mining flourished. * In 39 PW, Pheidos of Bosk changed the official Mission Statement of Dawnstar, and, in doing so, allowed all other Exploration Houses the option of doing so themselves. * In 40 PW, Dawnstar became the first official Exploration House/law enforcement operation in the Six Points. As a result of its hard work and constant vigilance, crime in Bridgeport has nearly vanished. * In 51 PW, Dawnstar has conducted expeditions that lead to 90% of its landmass being mapped out. Motto "No matter how dark the night, we shall always find safety in the light of the Dawn Star." Mission Statement Dawnstar has had two Mission Statements since it's founding: the Original Mission Statement, upon which all other Exploration Houses must base theirs, and a Revised Mission Statement that reflects the organization Dawnstar has become over time. Original "We exist to bring the world to the people of Bridgeport and the rest of the Six Points." Revised "We exist to bring the world to our people, so that they never know suffering."